Rapper Ja Rule protests conditions in NYCHA buildings

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Rapper Ja Rule joined local elected officials and public housing residents from across NYC at a rally Tuesday to call for investment and immediate renovations to NYCHA's failing heating systems.

Persistent heat and hot water outages at NYCHA developments throughout the city have impacted 323,000 public housing residents. About 80 percent of NYCHA tenants have filed heat our hot water complaints throughout the winter season.

“I know what it’s like not to have heat or hot water. That’s why I’m here,” Ja Rule said

While the Mayor has allocated $200 million to invest in new boilers, a spokesperson for the Governor’s office provided this statement,

"We agree with the sentiments expressed by the Councilmembers and speakers this morning that the conditions at NYCHA - due to severe mismanagement by the City - are unacceptable. That's why we gave NYCHA an unprecedented $300 million and told the Council that the State stands ready to help in any way they deem appropriate, and even offered a way to improve the management problems with a State Declaration of Emergency to expedite competent, immediate repairs," Dani Lever, press secretary for Governor Cuomo, said.

Councilmembers Alicka Ampry-Samuel and Ritchie Torres were also at the rally. A NYCHA spokesperson attributed funding issues to the Federal government.

“We appreciate anyone with a platform bringing attention to the critical funding issues NYCHA faces," a spokesperson said. "We hope today’s rally will highlight the catastrophic cuts proposed by the Trump administration and the need to support public housing as a vital resource.”

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